Flexible Work Arrangements: Managers Are Key to Their Success
How would you describe flexible scheduling? Does a standard definition come to mind?
In a new SHRM survey on flexible work arrangements (FWAs), which surveyed 525 HR professionals from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s membership, “FWAs,” “flex time,” “workplace flexibility,” “flexible scheduling,” etc. are defined under the following definition:
“… A dynamic partnership between employers and employees that defines how, when and where work gets done in ways that work for everyone involved (including families, clients and other stakeholders).”
Source: www.tlnt.com
Stegmeier Consulting’s Insight…
In order for organizations to have effective flexible working arrangements, senior leaders must ensure that offerings are made in earnest and that middle managers and employees are well-informed of the policies. This article reveals that a whopping 50% of employees in this survey find out about flexible work arrangements while on the job. Ideally, flexible work arrangements should be trumpeted as benefit during recruitment efforts, as they can be a great draw for today’s top talent.
It comes as no surprise then that within the organizations polled, most see those arrangements used by only 1 to 25 percent of the workforce despite their availability. Certainly not every employee needs to take advantage of a flexible work arrangement, but it would be interesting to see employee utilization numbers after proper steps have been taken to ensure all employees are fully aware of how, when, and where they are able to conduct their work. And of course, as the article mentions, leading by example goes a long way; anytime senior leadership works flexibly, mid-level managers are more inclined to do the same, and in turn, be more open to the employees they supervise following suit.
We at Stegmeier Consulting Group understand that communicating new or changing workplace policies regarding flexible work arrangements can be challenging and needs to be handled with no small amount of delicacy. In many cases, clients we work with prefer us to draft timely communications to their employees that can address questions or concerns up front. We also have experience in crafting and revising flex-work policies to ensure your organization takes an effective approach to flexible work arrangements. Let us help your organization get everyone on the same page when it comes flex-work. As the definition mentioned in the article implies, flex-work is a dynamic partnership between an employee and employer, and each side must do their part to ensure the program’s success!
Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative. Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.
https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/
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